Martin is a boy who was born blind. Since he was born blind he feels like he is burden to his mother and that his mother doesn't love him. He feels that she pity's him. He also starts to believe that when his mother describes the garden outside their window and what's in it, that she lies to him and tells him things that aren't really there. As a result he grows up distrustful of people and her. Because he doesn't trust his mother he also believes that his mother is lying to him about how she is dying. Even at the funeral he believes that her dead body isn't really in the coffin and that she faked her death because she wanted to get away from him because she didn't love him anymore. As he grows up Martin learns that he was wrong about how he perceived his mother's feelings towards him. He also realizes that she really was a good and loving mother all along.